"Lily genius, where are you?"

"C'mon, Lil, baby, stop playing hide and seek."

"Oh, my God, this gal!"

"Okay, Lil, fine! I lost, now c'mon!" The little girl's laughter was followed by a little hand wrapping itself around my leg, making me chuckle. I dropped my sight to see her, who was staring at me with her beautiful doe eyes and a dopey grin dangling from her lips.

"Biggie lost, Biggie lost, Biggie lost!!" I stifled my laughter and scowled at her as she continued to chant while clutching my leg. "Are you mad at me?" she whispered, her laughter dwindling. Oh, my God, how could someone be angry at such an adorable creation of God? As I scooped her into my arms, I laughed at her and shook my head in denial. And boy was she light! She was light as a feather!

"So, Genius, where were we?" She groaned as she pulled out her notepad.

"Could you just come in for a minute, Soph?" Grace was beckoning to me.

"Hold on a second, I'll be right back." With that in mind, I went to meet Grace. When I walked into her room, I spotted her standing on a stool, reaching for something.

"Thank God you've arrived! Could you kindly remove that box? "

"Sure!" As I got up onto the stool, she got off. I reached for the box with my hands extended out. While her phone began to ring, I carefully gave her a glass box. She proceeded to pick it up while passing me an apologetic smile. I was ready to hop off, when a particular picture caught my attention. My hands had already grabbed it before I had a chance to respond. It was a photograph of a couple hugging and smiling at each other. I jumped off the stool and sat on it. The man had Ben's hair color and facial shape, but Grace's eyes. The woman was tall, slim, and dark-skinned. She had a small button nose and jet black hair. Her lovely doe eyes were laden with a diverse variety of emotions. I didn't know why, but they seemed somewhat familiar to me, as if I knew who they were and had seen them before, but when? Where?

Who were they, exactly? My thoughts began to swirl as I examined the photograph more precisely and calculatedly. That's when I realized Lily didn't resemble Grace or Ben in the least. How didn't I see it sooner? In reality, Lily resembled both of those figures. With Lily's dark skin, her large doe eyes, and her jet black hair, everything made sense, but still nothing made sense. Were they Lily's parents if Lily resembled them? But what about Grace and Ben? Who were they? Grandparents?

"They're my children." Grace's words drew me out of my tangle of questions and doubts. I locked my gaze on her weary, tear-streaked eyes. But my mind was blank, and all I could think of was asking, "Lily's their daughter, isn't she?"

She walked up to me after closing the door behind her. She sat down on the couch, and the tears that had been suppressed were now allowed to flow freely.

"He's my son, Kayden, and she's Danica, my daughter-in-law." She let out a faint sob as she spoke in hushed whispers.

"Where are they now?"

"Heaven." I swooped her up into my arms and softly stroked her. Losing someone is never a pleasant experience, and when it's your children, it takes its toll. I felt her anguish and suffering.

"What happened to them? Sorry, you don't have to answer anything if you don't want to. "

"No, that's ok! For our own sake, it's sometimes crucial to let things out." Before recounting the entire tragic incident, she brushed her tears away and gave me a feeble smile.

"It was March 20, 2015, in Spain. Everything began and concluded there. Six years ago, we all went to a fair. Lily had just turned a year old. That night was a blast for us all. I recall that we had a wonderful evening of photoshoots. However... that night... " She gulped and paused, caught up in the moment. I gently squeezed her hands, urging her to keep going.

"Everything happened too quickly, too unexpectedly for everyone to comprehend. We were in two different cars at the time. In one, it was just me, Ben, and Lily, while in the other, it was Kay, Dan, and our little Will, their second born, who was only a few months old. We were able to return home, but they... they never did. " She wailed again, and I pulled her into my arms and gently consoled her. I had no clue how much they'd been through.

"What do you mean they didn't come back?"

"We tried all we could to find them, but there was no trace of them, as if they had disappeared from the face of the planet. We continued hoping that they had been in an accident and were being treated at a hospital or in the surrounding areas, but our efforts were fruitless. Our expectations were eventually dashed, and the police proclaimed them missing and dead." I couldn't put into words how moved I was as I listened to her story. The agony, the conundrum, and the melancholy were all too much to bear. Her despair and tears could not be erased, and indeed, there was no way out.

"We didn't mention them to Lily. The small child was kept in the dark about it. She was already different from the other kids, and knowing it would only crush her heart. So Ben and I decided to keep it a secret from everyone, including Lily, and moved to New York from then on. We are Lily's parents in the eyes of the world, and we will always be. We can't let anything happen to her since she's our sole hope of survival, their last gift to us. "

"Will you ever disclose this to her, Grace?"

"We haven't made up our minds yet, but we will in the future."

"She has every right to know about her parents, and we have no right to forbid her from learning about them, but not now, not after everything she has gone through."

"I understand you, Grace. I do."

"You both are very strong people. Trust me. "

"Hey, Soph!"

"Hmm?"

"There's a package waiting for you down there. " I thanked the girl and went to check the parcel. Who would send something to me? Reaching down, I noticed a red-dressed delivery man holding a box. "Um... Is this box for Sophronia Jasper?" I said as I approached him, clearing my throat somewhat.

"Oh, yes, ma'am! Are you Sophronia Jasper? "

"Yes, but are you sure it's for me?"

"Yes, Miss, without a doubt. You may verify it for yourself. " I took the parcel and double-checked my information; it was, indeed, my name. There was no sender's address or name provided, which raised my suspicions. I returned to my dorm after thanking him. My fingers had already begun to unwrap the box.

On reaching, I locked the door and opened it to find a sealed envelope inside. Picking up the envelope with the wording 'A gift to remember' scrawled in a dark crimson tint that, to be honest, scared me. I ripped open the envelope, revealing whatever was inside. The second shock of the day struck as the pictures dropped onto the bed. My fingers nervously picked those shots, my eyes bursting at the prospect of absorbing everything in.

There were two people, each gazing into the other's eyes. They both appeared to be quite happy and in love. The blonde girl was riding on the back of the oceanic-blue-eyed guy in the second photo. They were both seated in a park in the third photo, holding hands. And figuring out who they were didn't take an Einstein.

Senior Aria and Senior Aylwin.

They both appeared to be in their early teens and seemed to be somewhat immature. I had no clue they had a past, but it was much more than that. They had been too close to each other, but their actions were nothing like those shown in the photographs. I'd never seen him smile before, but now that I had, I couldn't stop myself from gush. It was so contagious, so miraculous, so beautiful, and so mystical all at the same time. But what happened over the years to make him so emotionless? What went wrong between them? He acted so casually in front of her, as if he didn't know who she was or that she was just another girl to him, but those photographs conveyed a completely different tale. Then it all made sense. Senior Aria always sought to interact with him. The way she often looked at him. Her infatuation with him, her obsession with him, the tales of her eyes. Everything made sense, but... Argh! There were a lot of buts that I wasn't aware of. Who was he? What caused him to change?

You scare me, Senior Poker Face!

My thoughts were disrupted by the chime on my phone. When I picked it up, there was a message from an unknown number on the screen. As I re-read the message over and over, my brows knitted and my body stiffened.

"That's exactly what I was thinking... He hadn't revealed it to you! There's a lot of shock coming your way... Little one! "

The last two words reawakened all of my dark memories that had been buried deep within me. Little one. Little one. Little one. There was only one person in the universe who called me that name, and it couldn't possibly be him. He couldn't reach me. Certainly not! There was no way! My phone vibrated again, jolting me up.

I slammed my phone down, struggling to comprehend what had transpired in the last twenty minutes. My throat was clogged with rising bile, and my heart thumped inside my ribs as I clutched my head firmly. Memories slammed down on me like a sack of rocks, knocking me cold.

"Run, princess, run!" He yelled, urging the quivering girl to escape as soon as possible. Her limbs shuddered with dread and anxiety.

"Stop thinking and run! This is your very last chance. Last chance, don't forget! " His eyes pleaded with her as she looked back and forth at her destiny. Her thoughts were muddled and chaotic. She couldn't figure out what was going on. Was it a means of escape for her? Was she going to be free at long last? She didn't hesitate to run like a maniac, as if it were the final sprint of her life, but she was halted by a certain voice.

"Stop there, little one, or I'll kill you." She stopped. Fear invaded every strand of her being. Was that the end of her? Was it finally going to happen? She had yearned for it for a long time. Was she really going to die at that point? Was that the end for her?

"Keep going, princess! Run! Keep running. " His voice gave her new strength, and she turned on her heels and ran as fast as she could, hoping that it would be the end of her suffering. Awaiting freedom embraced her, and she flung herself into his arms, absorbing his gesture and reveling in the exhilaration.

"Little one, I'll come for you! I'll come for you. "

I was dying to question him about those photographs. What exactly did they imply? Was there still something he had for her? I wasn't envious or insecure. There was a lot more to it than that. It was a combo of inquisitiveness and a desire to learn more about him. I fiddled with my fingers, my gaze fixed on him, who was seeping a can of coke.

"Spill it." My fingers froze when his eyes met mine. They were desolate shores with a storm brewing within that couldn't be glimpsed. What he was talking about was something I was very familiar with. And, heck, how could I not? When he was able to effortlessly read me.

Simply ask, and it will be done!

I let out a sigh as I showed him the photos of him and Senior Aria being all lovey-dovey. "This." He took the photos from my hand with a serene look as his eyes prowled over them. I was baffled by his features. He was practically a walking camouflage! "Come here," he beckoned me as he tossed them away with the same apathy.

He tugged me into his chest with my hand clasped in his. A small gasp escaped my lips, but it was immediately replaced by a funny, peculiar look. I had to stretch my neck a little to look into his eyes as I approached his shoulder, or perhaps a bit beyond. Anyway, I felt his fingers delicately stroking my nape, and that heavenly sensation brought my eyelids shut. "I don't know where you got that from, nor do I care," he murmured, inhaling deeply.

His hand dropped back to his side, but the other remained in my grasp. I drew our entwined hands closer until they were at my chest level. His long, thin finger held a silver ring. His thumb softly brushed across my skin, and I returned the same gesture, gazing into his orbs. I could never get enough of those ethereal orbs, and the crazy thing was, I didn't want to!

"Aria and I have known each other since we were in high school in New Jersey. Back then in Jersey, we had a great time. She was a very different person back then. Sarcastic, funny, smart, and childish. We began dating during our junior year, but things went wrong with me, and we broke up after a few months. "

"Why?" I continued to fidget with his ring, unwilling to look at him. His words lacked sentiment, which is why the way he spoke about her had no impact on me. The notion that he was confiding in me warmed my heart. He wasn't clarifying anything; he was merely sharing with me some backstory info, a brief account of his past.

"Not now, Fresher. Perhaps one day. " I didn't say anything since I had to respect his privacy and words. And just like that, the conversation ended abruptly, but I felt compelled to say something.

"She still loves you, ya 'know!" I traced the linings of the glistening silver ring, yearning for the silence to break.

"I know."

Wow, and the Oscar goes to Senior Poker Face!

"She still has feelings for you. Maybe it's infatuation or something, but it really is evident in her eyes. "

"And?" I was delirious because he asked so nonchalantly, as if he didn't give a damn. Then I was confronted with yet another dilemma.

"Your smile is contagious. You should do it more often. " He was taken aback by that. He stiffened alongside me. I eventually raised my eyes to match his, which were already neutral.

"You scare me, Fresher." It was then my turn to arch my brow at him. The space between us evaporated in the twinkling of an eye, and the warmth emanating from him kissed every inch of my body. Pleasure and tingles loomed over me, inside me, beneath me, and all around me.

"I do?" I inquired, feeling stunned and bashful.

"Yes, you do." He nodded firmly before proceeding, "You fucking make me feel things that I no longer ever thought of. Something I haven't felt in a long time. You evoke emotions in me, and goddammit, I so fucking hate this! " A heartfelt smile made its way onto my lips. How could someone be so calmly enraged? It was his way of doing things, his way of confessing, his way of conveying things, his way of asserting, which I rather found stirring. He tenderly stroked my cheek, the coldness of his ring cooling my hot, inflamed cheek.

"And that fucking scares the crap out of me. You scare me, Fresher. You so fucking scare me. " He whispered gracefully, with a huskiness that sent shivers down my spine. When a person scares you, it implies he can see you, through you, and within you, while also possessing the sole ability to rip you apart. It didn't take me long to react. As he rested his forehead on me, I tiptoed and gingerly pecked his lips. Our gazes intermingled, noses brushed against each other, and a goofy smile grazed my lips with our blossoming moment.

"Feelings are mutual Senior, the feeling's mutual. " I whispered against his lips, slightly brushing them.

"Wake up, Soph! Wake up! " I was startled awake by the sudden yelling and violent shaking.

"Iv, I'm up!" I yawned and drowsily wiped my eyes.

"Where were you last night?"

"Seriously gal, you freaking woke me up simply to ask where I was last night?"

"Fuck it; don't tell me, honey. After all, the whole university knows it, sweetheart! "

"What the!! Not this time! Not again, Jesus! " She gave me her phone, which was flooded with photos of us from that night. The first picture was of me pecking his lips, and the second was of our foreheads placed against one another.

"It reads, 'Finally, our Uni's hottest senior is taken.'" She continued to bicker, reading the comments and all the malarkey.

"Crap! Where did they get these pictures from? There is such a thing as privacy. Sometimes it's better to give it. " I tousled my hair and smashed my face into the pillow, making Ivy laugh.

"It's known as an adorable violation of privacy." She was overwhelmed with awe.

"It's known as..." Her ear-piercing scream cut me off before I could conclude that statement. Her jaw hung in the air and her eyes were as big as saucers. She glanced at her phone screen, then at me, then back at her phone screen, then back at me, and so on. I gave her a quizzical look and probed about it, but she screamed again instead of explaining.

Is it World Screaming Day today?

My heart skipped a beat as I took the phone from her grip. I handed the phone to her and rubbed my eyes once, twice, and thrice.

"Yeah, now show me!" It was the same thing. I wasn't hallucinating. Oh, my God, oh, my God, oh, my good God, it was freaking real!

"Just look at the caption, buddy! I'm so gonna die today! " I slumped down on the bed, my back against the soft linen, my face buried in the pillow.

"It's nothing big, Iv!"

"What the fuck gal! Senior Aylwin fucking uploaded that damn photo with the caption, 'Just two strangers, carelessly ambling under the same sky, together with no intention of stopping anytime soon.'Aw, that's the sexiest thing I've ever heard. " She stayed awestruck and gushing over it. My cheeks were blazing hot as I was burning from head to toe.

"It feels good."

"Aimlessly wandering?"

"Yes, and no!"

"Well, imagine it this way... Just two strangers, carelessly ambling under the same sky, together with no intention of stopping anytime soon."

What was going on in his mind? Why did he do that?

You so freaking mystify me, Senior. You mystify me to death.